228 History of Nature. [BooK VII. 



Rome over them whose Consul he had been, even in the 

 same Year in which he was himself an Enemy in the Field. 

 L. Sylla was the only Man, until our time, that challenged 

 to himself the surname of Felix, 1 or the Fortunate ; but the 

 Title was adopted from shedding the Blood of Citizens, and 

 by waging War against his Country. And by what argu- 

 ments was grounded this good Fortune of his ? That, he was 

 able to Proscribe, and put to Death, so many thousands of 

 the Citizens? O mistaken interpretation, and unhappy even 

 to future time ! For were not they more blessed, who then 

 lost their Lives, whose Death at this day we pity, than Sylla, 

 whom no Man living at this day doth not abhor? More- 

 over, was not his end more cruel than the misery of all those 

 who were Proscribed by him ? for his own wretched Body 

 consumed itself, 2 and bred its own torment. And although 

 we may believe that he dissembled all this by his last Dream, 3 

 wherein he lay as if he were dead, upon which he gave out 

 this Speech, that himself alone had overcome Envy by Glory ; 

 yet in this one thing he confessed, that his Felicity was 

 defective, inasmuch as he had not Consecrated the Capitol. 

 Q. Metellus, in that Funeral Oration which he made in 

 commendation of L. Metellus, his Father, left it written of 



1 There was scarcely a title more coveted by the Romans than this of 

 Fortunate, for they took it to be a decisive evidence of the ability which 

 had led to success. Appian says that there existed in front of the Rostra 

 in Rome, a golden equestrian figure of Sylla, with the inscription, 

 " Syllae Imperat. fortunate." But from Pliny we learn that his cruelty 

 had caused his memory to be held in little estimation by posterity. 

 Wern. Club. 



3 The cause of the death of Sylla is not quite certain. Appian (De 

 Bell. Civ. i. 105) says he died of an attack of fever; while others inform 

 us that the loathsome disease called phthiriasis was the cause of his death. 

 Of this latter opinion were Plutarch, Pliny, and Pausanias. Wern. Club. 



3 Plutarch says, " Sylla tells us," in his Commentaries, " that the 

 Chaldasans had predicted, that after a life of glory he would depart in the 

 height of his prosperity." He further acquaints us, that his son, who 

 died a little before Metella, appeared to him in a dream, dressed in a 

 mean garment, and desired him to bid adieu to his cares, and go along 

 with him to his mother Metella, with whom he should live at ease, and 

 enjoy the charms of tranquillity. Wern. dub. 



